Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• (le) Grif(f) 1260 CPG 1286 WollCh 1294 Ch

• Gryf 1291 Tax 1330 QW

• the Gryffe 1489 CPG

• Grange called the Gryffe 1517 ib

• le Brettegrifth 1257 CPG

• (le) Bretgrif, Bretgryf(e), Bretgriff late13th,1317,1325,1334,14th ib

• Holdbretton 15th CPG

• Bretton 1616,1650 ib

Etymology

Griffe Grange, (le ) Grif (f )1260CPG , 1286WollCh , 1294 Ch, Gryf 1291 Tax, 1330 QW, the Gryffe 1489CPG , Grange called the Gryffe 1517 ib. 'Deep narrow valley', v. gryfja . This is now called Griffe Grange Valley. The grange formerly belonged to Dale Abbey, v. grange . According to Bagshaw (1846) an alternative name was Bret-Griffe, which is le Brettegrifth 1257CPG , (le ) Bretgrif , Bretgryf (e ), Bretgriff late 13th, 1317, 1325, 1334, 14th ib, the first element of which is probably Bretta , gen.pl. of Brettas 'Britons', cf. Bretby infra 623.The same first element most likely is found in Holdbretton 15thCPG , Bretton 1616, 1650 ib in this parish, 'farm of the Britons', v. tūn , cf. Bretton supra 101. v. also ald .